University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1994 The effects of cross-age tutoring on the achievement levels of thirty second graders and their tutors Betty Jane Thornton University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Thornton, Betty Jane, "The effects of cross-age tutoring on the achievement levels of thirty second graders and their tutors." (1994) Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 5524 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/5524 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst For more information, please contact scholarworks@library.umass.edu 3iaobb iflS4 FIVE COLLEGE DEPOSITORY THE EFFECTS OF CROSS-AGE TUTORING ON THE ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS OF THIRTY SECOND GRADERS AND THEIR TUTORS A Dissertation Presented by BETTY JANE THORNTON Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION SEPTEMBER 1994 School of Education © Copyright by Betty Jane Thornton, 1994 All Rights Reserved THE EFFECTS OF CROSS-AGE TUTORING ON THE ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS OF THIRTY SECOND GRADERS AND THEIR TUTORS A Dissertation Presented by BETTY JANE THORNTON Approved as to style and content by: Charlena Seymour, Member ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Few outcomes are the singular product of one individual And such is not the case with this research Accordingly, I would like to thank a number of persons for their assistance and most of all, their encouragement Betty B., Lil, Helene, Doris, A.F., and Virginia, you beat me up psychologically to make me push on For this I am now grateful My mother, Ruth, my son, Jody, and my other family members - Trudy, Richard, Karen, Labrynth, Amethyst, Donnell -provided an endless source of encouragement However, this research shall have been impossible without the technical support of Dean Carey, Dr Gentry, and Dr Seymour my advisors To each of you, my deepest thanks IV ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF CROSS-AGE TUTORING ON THE ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS OF THIRTY SECOND GRADERS AND THEIR TUTORS SEPTEMBER 1994 BETTY JANE THORNTON, B.A., XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA M.A.T., TRINITY COLLEGE, WASHINGTON, D.C ED.D UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Dean John Carey This study examined the effects of cross-age tutoring on the reading achievement of thirty second graders and their tutors’ levels of performance Additionally, the study assessed whether the role of tutors raised the academic performance of those younger students in the tutoring program Participants in the study were academically, economically, and socially deficient This study involved African American students from an urban public school in an after school tutoring program for two months The students were paired during the tutoring sessions They were administered the Morrison-McCall Diagnostic Spelling Scale pretests and posttests Analysis of variance was used to compare and assess the levels of performance of the tutored and untutored groups v Overall, participants in the cross-age tutoring study produced remarkable gains of mastery in their reading achievement performances This achievement was determined through the use of the Morrison-McCall Diagnostic Spelling Scale Test, which was administered to all students prior to the beginning of the program and at the end of the tutoring sessions The results indicated significant gains made by the tutored group of students Students in the study improved their reading, spelling, writing and comprehension skills The effects of cross-age tutoring on the achievement level of the tutored group was successful The posttest findings regarding level of reading improvement were increased The results were used to make recommendations relative to the efficacy of cross-age tutoring as an instructional strategy for improving and measuring the achievement levels of "underachieving" African American students Previous findings suggested that cross-age tutoring programs have been a positive choice of intervention for underachieving students in some school districts As a result of cross-age tutoring, students elevated (independent or in a group setting) their level of academic performances Thus, the study determined that cross-age tutoring has provided students with the academic tools to "carry over" to the daily mastery of skills at school to enhance accomplishments VI TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS jv ABSTRACT v LIST OF TABLES ix CHAPTER I II INTRODUCTION A B C D LITERATURE REVIEW A B C D III IV Statement of the Problem Significance of the Study Definitions Research Questions and Hypotheses.: Peer Age Tutoring in Urban School Systems Peer Age Tutoring in Other Environmental Contexts 21 Peer Tutoring and At-Risk Children 23 Other Evidence 27 METHODS 30 A B C D E 34 37 40 45 47 Hypotheses Participants and Setting Procedures Instrumentation Data Analysis • RESULTS A B C Hypothesis I: The Main Effects of Cross-Age Tutoring The Impact of Tutoring Upon the Reading Levels of Tutees Main Effects for Tutors: Gender and Age VII 49 49 51 52 D E V Pretest and Posttest Scores By Grade Concluding Remarks 53 54 CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 55 A B C D E 61 63 64 65 67 Summary of Findings Relationship to Previous Research Limitations of the Study Implications for Practice Implications for Further Research APPENDICES A B C D E F G RESULTS TUTEE’S REACTIONNAIRE TUTOR’S REACTIONNAIRE MORRISON-MCCALL DIAGNOSTIC SPELLING SCALE TEST_ CTBS PERCENTILE RANK FOR CHAPTER SCHOOLS DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS PERMISSION SLIP BIBLIOGRAPHY VIII 68 71 72 73 76 80 92 93 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Posttest Age Value Label Sum Mean Std Dev Variance Cases For Entire Population 65.80 4.3867 3871 1498 15 9.00 25.40 4.2333 3933 1547 10.00 40.40 4.4889 3689 1361 Age TOTAL CASES = 30 MISSING CASES = 15 or 50.0 Percent 84 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Value Label Sum Mean Std Dev Variance Cases 65.80 4.3867 3871 1498 15 1.00 28.00 4.6667 3882 1507 2.00 37.80 4.2000 2646 0700 For Entire Population Gender Posttest Gender TOTAL CASES = 30 MISSING CASES = 15 or 50.0 Percent 85 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Value Posttest Age Label For Entire Population Age Sum Mean Std Dev Varianc e Cases 53.50 3.5667 3132 0981 15 9.00 21.00 3.500 3950 1560 10.00 32.50 3.611 2619 0686 TOTAL CASES = 30 MISSING CASES = 15 or 50.0 Percent 86 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Posttest Gender Value Label Sum Mean Std Dev Varianc e Cases For Entire Population f 3.50 3.5667 3132 0981 15 Gender 1.00 r 3.00 3.8333 2944 0867 2.00 I 0.50 3.3889 1691 0286 TOTAL CASES = 30 MISSING CASES = 15 or 50.0 Percent 87 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Posttest Age Value Label Mean Std Dev Cases For Entire Population 5.9600 4421 15 Age 10.00 5.5000 1414 11.00 5.9000 4781 12.00 6.2500 3000 13.00 6.2000 TOTAL CASES = 15 88 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Posttest Gender Value Label For Entire Population Gender Mean Std Dev Cases 5.9600 4421 15 1.00 5.9111 4910 2.00 6.0333 3882 TOTAL CASES = 15 89 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Posttest Age Value Label For Entire Population Age Mean 5.1267 Std Dev .2738 Cases 15 10.00 4.7000 11.00 5.1250 2188 12.00 5.2750 2500 13.00 5.4000 TOTAL CASES = 15 90 5.902 E-08 APPENDIX F (Cont’d) DESCRIPTION OF SUBPOPULATIONS OLDER STUDENT TUTORS Summaries of: By Levels of: Variable Posttest Gender Value Label For Entire Population Gender Mean Std Dev Cases 5.1267 2738 15 1.00 5.1333 2398 2.00 5.1167 3430 TOTAL CASES = 15 91 APPENDIX G District of Columbia Public Schools Washington, D.C 20004 Spring Semester Dear [Parent]: As many of you are aware, I am a resource teacher at Ketcham Elementary School which your child attends I am organizing an after school tutoring program designed to determine whether peer tutoring (cross¬ age tutoring) can be used to enhance the performance of thirty second grade students in the area of spelling Our tutors will be intermediate students The students included in this study will meet on an after-school basis for a period of two months The children will be supervised by two adults I am requesting permission for your child to be included in this program Should 1) 2) 3) you select to allow your child to participate, you and your child will have the following rights: To withdraw from part or all of the study at any time; To review the aggregate data collected from the study; To understand that your child’s identity will not be revealed to any persons beyond those directly involved in the research Participation in this study is totally voluntary There are no penalties, direct or implied for your refusal to allow your child to participate Again, all test results will be confidential in that names of students will not be used Your informed consent to participate in the study under the conditions described is assumed by your completing the questionnaire and submitting it to the researcher Do not complete the questionnaire or hand it in if you not understand or agree to these conditions If you have additional concerns, please attend the meeting scheduled on Thursday [date], at 3:15 p.m in Room 213, or call me at (202) 232-0589 I look forward to talking with you Sincerely, B Thornton Resource Educator, Ketcham Elementary School [Conducting Study - Doctoral Student] CUT Complete and Return: No later than Wednesday, A □ Check Box: Yes, My child can participate in the study □ No, my child cannot participate in the study □ B Check Box: Tutee □ Tutor Name of Child Teacher’s Name Medical Information □ C Check Box: will attend the meeting □ will not attend the meeting □ D Check Box: will call you: Time: p.m Day/Date: □ will not call you E Relationship to the child □ Check the appropriate box: Mother □ Father □ Grandmother □ Legal guardian □ Other F Write your Name Address Telephone Numbers]: Home Work Emergency Information: Name Address Telephone 92 BIBLIOGRAPHY Barbetta, Patricia M., et al Tugmate: A Cross-Age Tutoring Problem to Teach Sight Vocabulary Education and Treatment of Children V.14 nl, pp 19-37 (Feb 1991) EJ428582; EC600837 Buros, O Fourth Mental Measurements Yearbook Gryphon Press, Highland Park, N.J Coleman, Susan Middle School Remedial Readers Serve as CrossGrade Tutors (in the Classroom) Reading Teacher V.43 n7, pp 524-25 (March 1990) EJ406794; CS739727 Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills CTB/McGraw-Hill Monterey, CA (1986) Cordova, Ignacio R Multicultural Education Issues, Concerns and Commitments North Central Association Quarterly V.61 n3, pp 391-98 (1987) EJ354501; JC504479 CTBS Percentile Rank of Chapter Schools District of Columbia Public Schools (1989) DePaulo, J., Tank, J., 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DEPOSITORY THE EFFECTS OF CROSS-AGE TUTORING ON THE ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS OF THIRTY SECOND GRADERS AND THEIR TUTORS A Dissertation Presented by BETTY JANE THORNTON Submitted to the Graduate School of the. .. parents monitored the progress of the first graders in the program with the tutors’ collaboration The findings indicated that the goal of the study was partially mastered Another study conducted... prior to the beginning of the program and at the end of the tutoring sessions The results indicated significant gains made by the tutored group of students Students in the study improved their reading,